Two historic Milton families were honoured with street names, and we have the details.
Each week, we speak with Milton Historical Society President John Challinor II to gather information and details about the namesakes of our roads. If you weren’t aware, he and the late great historian, Jim Dills, wrote the book on Milton street names, writing Milton Streets back in 2007.
Recently, we covered Jaycee Trail and Ledwith Drive. This week, we’re focusing on Johnson Heights and Lawson Road.
We’ll start alphabetically with Johnson Heights. Challinor says the street is named after a well-known local businessman and his family.
He adds that the Johnson family still has ties to Milton to this day, which is not always the case for some of these families.
The bowling alley operated by Johnson has no ties to CHAMPS Family Entertainment Centre in Milton, currently the only bowling spot in town.
A poppy is also seen on the Johnson Heights street sign. Challinor says that is linked to service during World War 1.
Moving on to Lawson Road, Challinor says the street is named after a farming family that lived in the area prior to it being developed into the industrial space it is now.
It was shortly after Lawson’s passing that the land was sold and eventually developed into what we know it as today.
If you’re looking to understand how Milton’s streets are named, you should check out the book written by Challinor and Dills. Published by the Milton Historical Society back in 2007, it sold out in about six weeks and has since been long out of print. That said, according to Challinor, you can still find a copy at the Milton Public Library. With nearly 15-years having passed since the initial publication, and the extensive town growth in that time, an updated book is likely to come.
You can also take a walk with the late Jim Dills down Milton’s Main Street in 2002.
If you have a suggestion on what you’d like to learn about next week, let us know! We’re currently working on names that we find interesting. You can message our Facebook page, Twitter account, Instagram page, or even email us at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. Otherwise, we’ll just continue asking about local street names that we find interesting.
If you have a news tip or story idea, you can now send us a heads up via email at News1013@LocalRadio.ca. If you’d like to get ahold of me personally, shoot me a message at Cameron.Wilkinson@LocalRadio.ca. We’re in the business of content creation, so no idea is a bad idea.
